July 26, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1345 

TRIBUTE TO THE GREATEST 

GENERATION 

HON. MARY BONO MACK OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, July 26, 2012 

Mrs. BONO MACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to honor the brave men and women 

who fought and served in World War II. Their 

courage, selflessness and remarkable contributions to our country must never be forgotten. They fought not for fame or recognition, 

and too often made the ultimate sacrifice, but 

because it was simply their duty. 

When Tom Brokaw declared them the 

‘‘greatest generation any society has ever produced,’’ no one could have described them in 

more fitting terms. After suffering through the 

Great Depression as youths, they were summoned to war following the surprise attack on 

Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They 

didn’t hesitate. They jumped at the chance to 

fight for their country in the heat of the South 

Pacific, the chill of Europe and other fronts 

around the globe. When they returned home, 

they humbly kept the horrors of war to themselves, not wanting to trouble their families 

with the terror of what they had faced. Women 

who had never held a job outside of the home 

before served as nurses, built tanks and 

planes, and those who stayed home immediately went to work to support the war effort. 

Truly, their unwavering patriotism is exemplary 

and serves as an inspiration to future generations. 

I am honored to pay tribute to this generation because I am the proud daughter of a 

World War II veteran who flew a B17 bomber 

in Europe during the war. My dad’s unwavering courage, unimaginable sacrifices and tireless work ethic is typical of his generation. Because of my dad and others like him, we live 

in freedom in the greatest country on Earth. 

As this generation ages, it’s up to us to keep 

their legacy strong and tell their story to generations to come. Together, we must ‘‘keep 

the Spirit of ’45 Alive.’’ I commend the residents of the Coachella Valley for their efforts 

to do just that. 

The Palm Springs Air Museum, where old 

bombers like my dad’s stand proudly on display, is hosting a ‘‘Spirit of ’45 Day’’ next 

month to honor those who fought in World 

War II. Events like these serve as a worthy 

salute to this brave generation before we are 

left with only their memory. The Palm Springs 

Air Museum is a community treasure and 

labor of love for those dedicated to preserving 

and sharing the history of our nation’s heroic 

aviators. It is well worth a visit for anyone who 

wants to learn more about the role our brave 

pilots and other service personnel played in 

many epic conflicts. I want to extend special 

thanks to the many volunteers and supporters 

who ensure the continued operation of this 

outstanding museum. 

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, General 

Dwight Eisenhower told his troops that the 

eyes of the world were upon them. Those 

words were powerful then, but still rings true 

today. Indeed, the eyes of the world will always be upon the Greatest Generation, and I 

hope you’ll join me in making every effort to 

preserve their remarkable legacy, a legacy 

that will never be diminished as long as the 

Republic they fought so heroically to preserve 

endures. 

HONORING DEAN WELDON 

SLEIGHT 

HON. ADRIAN SMITH OF NEBRASKA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, July 26, 2012 

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to honor Weldon Sleight as he retires as 

Dean of the University of Nebraska College of 

Technical Agriculture (NCTA). 

Dean Sleight has led NCTA since 2006 and 

played a vital role in supporting the college 

legacy and our rural agriculture economy 

along the way. 

Under his watch NCTA constructed a new 

residence hall, expanded the Veterinary 

Teaching Hospital, and built a state-of-the-art 

education center. 

In addition, Dean Sleight has established innovative programs combining entrepreneurship and agriculture such as the ‘‘Combat 

Boots to Cowboy Boots’’ initiative, designed to 

assist military personnel, their families and 

veterans in becoming farmers and ranchers; 

and the ‘‘100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage’’ program which assists students, parents, employers, and agencies in creating successful businesses and ranch transfer plans. 

When Dean Sleight retires in December of 

this year, we wish him the best of luck and 

thank him for his contribution to agriculture, 

education and Nebraska. 

f 

DEBRINA WORKMAN 30 YEARS 

WITH CONGRESSMAN NICK 

RAHALL 

HON. NICK J. RAHALL II OF WEST VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, July 26, 2012 

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, thirty years ago 

today, a young woman joined my Congressional Staff to help serve our fellow West Virginians in the midst of our State’s rich coalfields. She hailed from the community of Holden and still resides there near her parents’ 

home. 

Though she was very young, she had a 

burning passion to help people. And so she 

has, by the hundreds, nay thousands, over the 

decades working from her home base in my 

Logan District Office. For years, once a week, 

she did outreach work, bringing the constituent 

services of this Member of Congress to the 

good people of Mingo County. Working from 

the Mingo County seat of government in 

Williamson, she keeps me abreast of the important issues confronting the citizens of the 

Tug River Valley, the demarcation line of the 

famed Hatfield and McCoy Feud. 

To say she is a seasoned expert in agency 

process, procedure and practice is an understatement. She knows constituent casework 

inside and out. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, 

she knows the families of the coalfields, where 

they came from and where most of them are 

headed. She knows this because she cares, 

cares deeply that people are treated justly, 

and that justice is meted in a timely manner. 

She can scrap the varnish off truth faster and 

cleaner than anyone I know, whether you want 

her to or not. 

In the office she laughs with family members when things go right for them, and at 

home in the evening, she sheds tears for them 

when they are troubled. Indeed her passion 

still burns brightly, though now through these 

many years, it takes on the golden hue of seasoned compassion. She knows just the right 

thing to say to put people at ease. Not the art 

of politics, just working the Golden Rule, overtime. 

In these past thirty years, she has stuck 

with the people of southern West Virginia, 

through floods, blizzards and now a derecho. 

Her loyalty knows no bounds, even by Mother 

Nature’s standards. Those in West Virginia’s 

Third Congressional District and I are indeed 

fortunate to have Debrina Taylor Workman on 

our side because when the need arises, she 

can be a force of nature all by herself. 

Members of Congress are indeed blessed 

with godsends like Debrina to help us serve. 

While we don’t say it often enough, we are 

thankful for their many sacrifices on our and 

the good people we represent behalves. 

Please join me in thanking Debrina for thirty 

years of service to her country and its families. 

May the good Lord’s blessings continue to 

shine upon Debrina, her son, Jordan, and her 

many friends and family. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE GRAND MARSHALS FOR DELANO’S 38TH ANNUAL PHILIPPINE WEEKEND 

HON. JIM COSTA OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, July 26, 2012 

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize the Grand Marshals for Delano’s 

38th Annual Philippine Weekend. This event 

takes place in my district each year to honor 

and celebrate the Filipino culture. This year’s 

honorees are Juanita Quiocho Villaruz, Suzanne Villaruz, and Arleen Villaruz-Gonzales, 

and they were selected for their dedication to 

service in their community. They are terrific 

examples of strong women that exhibit leadership, selflessness, and perseverance. 

Juanita immigrated to the United States in 

1958 from Rancho, Santa, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. She married Louie V. Villaruz, and 

had three children—Suzanne, Arleen, and 

Lounito. While supporting their young family, 

Juanita and Louie were active in the United 

Farm Workers of America’s efforts to change 

conditions and wages for farm laborers. In 

1970, Juanita found herself having to support 

three children on her own due to Louie’s sudden death. She received training and worked 

as a psychiatric technician at Porterville State 

Hospital. Juanita retired from the State of California in 1995. 

As a member of many different organizations, Juanita has stayed extremely active in 

the Filipino community. She was a charter 

member of the Filipino-American (Fil-Am) Cultural and Educational Association and served 

as president in 1976–77. She is also a member of the Filipino Catholic Association, 

Legionarios del Trabajo, the Filipino Community of Delano, and the Sons of Santa, of 

which she is a past president. 

Juanita has always had a sense of service 

and participation in her community which she 

has undoubtedly passed down to her children. 

Suzanne Villaruz was born in Delano and 

graduated from Delano High School in 1977. 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS